Hardinera – Filipino Meatloaf with Vegetables
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One of the easiest meals to cook, no matter what the season, is a classic Hardinera the Filipino-style meat loaf. It is also a family favorite and often a most-requested recipe from friends and readers. This is my version of the Hardinera, inspired by the recipe from the new cookbook of Filipino Chef Jam Melchor – Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors And Cooking Traditions. Chef Jam personally hand-delivered this thick, spiral-bound cookbook to me when I was visiting Manila recently.
What a joy of a cookbook it is with some 150 classic recipes which I remember from my mother’s cooking and menu rotation. This cookbook of Filipino classics has become my kitchen companion lately.
The Hardinera recipe immediately caught my eye for its ease and availability of ingredients – most of which were already in my refrigerator and pantry. Best of all, it’s a great way to “eat your vegetables” because you can include portions of it in the meat mixture.
What is a Hardinera meat loaf?
Hardinera in the Tagalog dialect translates to ‘gardener’ which illustrates that this beef-pork combined loaf is mixed in with vegetables you probably have in your bin. With the abundance of summer veggies, it is even easier to quickly make this. Also called ‘jardinera’, food historians like Edgie Polistico cite that this meatloaf entrée originated from the Quezon province.
After it has been steamed, plated and sliced into serving pieces, the Hardinera has hearty flavors of salty, and slightly sweet meaty bites with vegetables nestled in between. The fragrant aroma of the bell peppers mixed with the onions, garlic and seasonings float around the dinner table and make it all an appetizing experience.
Why you’ll love this!
This is an easy meal to prep and to cook. All one needs to do is combine the meat, the vegetables, the condiments and the seasonings, then put the mix in a llanera (oval shaped Filipino metal container) or else your favorite loaf pan that fits in the steamer. Steaming the loaf is the preferred and suggested method. But I have tried other ways which are just as convenient, depending on the season here on the east coast in the USA, or the amount of time I have left in the day to make dinner.
Baking the loaf in the oven is one option. Another alternative is to steam the Hardinera meat loaf in the Instant Pot multicooker. All these suggested ways are doable and result in a delicious family meal.
Ingredients needed
The standard recipe suggests these ingredients:
Ground pork – some recipes use all-pork and that’s okay. I like to combine pork and beef for added flavors.
Ground beef – lean ground beef is good for this recipe.
Green peas – frozen peas that are thawed.
Bell peppers- use a combination of fresh red and green ones, chopped.
Carrots- chopped up; leave some sliced for the toppings.
Pickle relish- use sweet pickle relish for this recipe.
Eggs – divided; 2 to bind the mix; 2 hard-boiled ones, for the meatloaf inside and for the toppings
Bread crumbs – regular bread crumbs are one of the binder ingredients.
Grated cheddar cheese – sharp cheddar cheese adds that flavorful punch.
Salt and pepper to taste
For the marinade:
Soy sauce – like Filipino brand Silver Swan; or the Chinese brand Lee Kum Kee. (Do not use the Japanese Kikkoman).
Vinegar – white vinegar, like the store-brand is fine.
Ketchup – I use banana ketchup, but tomato is just as good.
Minced garlic
Onion, chopped fine
The easy process
- It takes no time to mix the marinade in a bowl then pour it into the meat mixture. Add the rest of the vegetables, the condiments and seasonings. Marinating the meat first brings out the flavors later on after it is cooked.
- Place the mixture in two llaneras (oval-shaped container for making flan) or use a regular loaf pan that fits inside the steamer.
- Cover the entire container with foil. Then steam for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
How to serve it.
When cooked, turn over and flip the Hardinera meat loaf on a serving platter.
Slice the loaf in serving pieces. Serve warm with steamed rice and a side dipping sauce of ketchup.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftover slices or the whole meatloaf wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. This keeps in the refrigerator for about 1 week. In the freezer, it can keep up to 1 month.
*For more about the Kayumanggi Cookbook read my book review on Positively Filipino online magazine – Chef Jam Melchor: Cooks The Past In The Present. Click here.
Hardinera – Filipino Meatloaf with Vegetables
Equipment
- Large Steamer
- Mixing bowls
- 2 oval Filipino llaneras or 2 loaf pans, 8 x 4 inches
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, like Silver Swan; or other Filipino brands
- 1/4 cup banana ketchup like UFC; or use tomato ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole medium-sized white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Hardinera meatloaf:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup breaqdcrumbs
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers, chopped, seeds and white membrane removed
- 1/4 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 whole hard-boiled eggs, for garnish on top
For serving
- steamed rice
Instructions
To marinate:
- In a lmedium-sized bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, onions and ground black pepper. Add the meats and mix well. Let the meat marinate for about 30 minutes. Set aside.
To prepare the meatloaf
- In a large bowl, , combine together the marinated meats with the breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, raisins, green peas, bell peppers and grated carrots.Add the sweet pickle relish and salt.Mix well to incorporate.
- Brush the softened butter or margarine around the insides of the loaf pans. Set aside.Place some sliced hardboiled eggs at the bottom of the pans.Divide the meat mixture and place in 2 separate llaneras (oval metal pan) or else 2 loaf pans (8 X 4 inches). Garnish the top with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
- Cove the pans with foil and seal tightly .Over briskly boiling water in the steamer, steam the 2 llaneras or loaf pans (if they fit in the steamer) for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.When cooked, remove the loaf pans from the steamer, and let them cool on the counter.
- Using a small, sharp knife loosen the sides of the meatloaf inside the loaf pan.Put a platter over the Hardinera, and turn both the platter and the llanera over.Slice in serving portions. Serve warm with steamed rice.
How to Cook Hardinera in the Instant Pot (option 2)
- To cook in the Instant Pot, place the foil-covered loaf pan (only 1 at a time fits inside) on the steamer rack on the inside pot. Make sure there is about 1-2 cups water below the steamer rack.Secure the lid. Check that the cooking pressure is on High and the release valve is set to Sealing.To Steam: select High Pressure for 30 minutes.When cooking is complete, do a quick release. Use silicone oven mitts to remove the loaf pan. Remove foil. Serve warm with rice.
To Bake the Hardinera: (alternative option)
- Preheat oven at 375 F.Place the foil-covered loaf pans atop a baking sheet (to catch liquids).Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm.
Cook's comments:
- Storage: Store leftover Hardinera in the refrigerator, covered for up to 1 week.Or you can store the leftovers in the freezer, wrapped in foil and plastic ziplock bags, for about 1 month.This is my version of Chef Jam Melchor's Hardinera from his new cookbook Kayumanggi. I omitted some ingredients, like the vinegar in the meats. And I added 2 eggs as a binding agent for the loaf.Using the oval-shaped llanera is a suggestion because that fits in most large steamers. If you don't have a llanera, feel free to us a regular loaf pan (8 x 4 inches) which fits inside the steamer.
Nutrition
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